Equal Power

Why was the project created? …

Have you noticed, how little children don’t have any problems with looking at its own reflection in the mirror? Happily dance in front of it, spin around, lough? They like themselves so much that they enjoy it greatly! Somewhere along the way to adulthood we lost that pleasure on watching ourselves in the mirror. True, it is something we do, because we have to – to brush our teeth, manage up our appearances … the pleasure got lost somehow. We experience some sort of pain while looking at our wrinkles, “irregularities”, “spots”, and of the kind.

Quite similar behaviour is to be noticed with so called “women” topic – regardless of taking under the spotlight the gender balance in the management process, setting the share on decision-making positions (quotas), women management, women in politics … no joy there either, right? More pain and silence.

40 years ago Yugoslavia was a role model, cited even 20 years later in Europe and in the countries northern from us. How is the situation today, what has happened after the independence of former Yugoslav republics, what is happening in Republic of Macedonia? Women, true, have more rights today than in the whole history of the human kind, and at the same time women experience more misery then when they were “just” housekeepers. There have never been so many discussions on the talent management and gender balanced society as now, and yet, there have never been so few women on top management position in Macedonia as right now.

Reason enough?

The premises and activities 2017 – 2019

The premise for the project is the gender balance. The problem, which exists in the European countries and in partnering country Macedonia (partner of the project is ICS Skopje), is the unequal representation of women in business and politics.

For the Macedonia as well there can be stated, that the problem is to be addressed for the women, still discriminated by lower salaries and harder to be employed. The beginning of the problem is difficult to pinpoint, but the issue exists since the first research was conducted, since first data were collected, since first evidence was established.

The Government of the Republic of Macedonia has adopted and adapted the legislative on the matter; situation is slowly addressed; but there are too little contents, too little active approaches and enhancements of the fulfilment of the topic; therefore is the process of empowering women a bit slower than in the EU countries.

With this project we amplify the achievement of gender equality. If the problem is not addressed, the process of inclusion will continue to slow down even more.

The project will be conducted in Skopje, but will have impact with its dynamics and activities on the whole country.